Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-12-09
A SERPENT IN A WATERMELON.
How "a Georgia Yarn-Tellcr Put to Shame
His Rival Ananiases.


His Rival Ananiases.
Six or eight grangers and legislators
were sitting in front of the Markham
House, chatting pleasantly about
various subjects, says the Atlanta Con-
statut1on. Conversation turned upon
snakes, and some wonderful warns
were spun. After awhile there was q
pause, when Farmer Bethune said,
as he mopped the sweat from his
bronzed face:
"Those yarns be purity fair, I con-
Tess. gentlemen, but kin match 'em ef
l mistake not"
He was encouraged to proceed, and
continued
"Well, sir, you may talk about your
queer varmints, but 1 sware the story
OF old Blaclly' will git away with all
OF ye 1t was early in the last spring
that long, sleek, black sarpent used
to crawl from under my barn, and he
.,peared so kind O friendly and harm
less l never had heart to kill the brute.
Regular every day he would creep
out and sun himself right at the kitchen
door, and my old wife she TUX kindly
to the poor thing and used to throw
bits O. scraps an the like to old
Blacky, as we christened him.
"One morning, as he was sprawled
out before the steps, throwed him
handful of watermelon seeds that I
was carrying to my patch to plant.
old Blacky just gulped 'em down and
crawled under the barn, and never
ag'in did 1 see my old black friend
until the time am about to tell va
about. Nigh onto month after [ no.
ticed flush of the barn door mighty
flourishing melon plant, that growed
and spread, and SIGH watermelons that
growed on that vine, gentlemen,
never beheld. There was one, sir, as
big as the biggest ever did see.
Zone mornin' my wife come to me and
said 'Gafney, dear, s'posen tonight we
just ask Parson Jones and Miss Me-
Indy Snipes over to the cutting of our
giant melon, that notice is iist ready
to pull itself if we don't pull it?'
"Cordingly twas greed that we
would, and as the melon was brought
in SIGH words of 'miration you never
did hear, as the parson and the ladies
said.
Bring it here, honey" said 1 to
Melindy, my youngest gal, who was
tugging vigorously under the weight of
the melon.
Yes, Pa" said she, turning red in
the face, but run quick, Pa, it's fall
ing she yelled, and down squashed
the melon with heavy thud, breaking
it full in two. Gentlemen, SIGH screech-
ing and screaming went out as never
you did hear, for out of that melon
crawled odd Blacky,' and jist looked
up at me as knowingly as We.
"The parson, he jist rolled his eyes
to the ceiling and called on the Lord.
Miss Melindy she katched up her skirts
and stood on top O. the table, while
my old lady and fust looked at one
another and then at the sarpent. Bless
the Lord, Nancy said !, its Old
Blacky come back again Jist how it
came about no one know'd. Nancy she
lowed the sarpent crowd the melon,
but Parson Jones rubbed his hands and
said: Sister Bethune, the Lord only
knows just how and when; we uns only
know that CROWN was done"
Eyes, sirs, gentlemen" said Squire
Bethune, blowing spark in his clay
pipe, "if you don't b'lieve every word
that say you can jist speak to Parson
Jones and git the facts from him. You
know parson can't tell lie."